Why?
by Liz Inc
Summary: [OneShot] A girl with a crumbling life. A boy with a heart made of steel. To help, or not to help...THAT is the question.


Hello there. Got some random Tea/Seto stuff here. And when I say RANDOM, I mean DON'T ASK. Cause I dunno where it came from…

"talking"

'thoughts'

Rated PG-13 for swearing

**Disclaimer**: I wonder how you say "I do NOT own Yugioh and shall _kill_ anyone who thinks otherwise" in Japanese?

**ooOoo**

Tea cursed irritably under her breath as the tranquil, night sky began to aggressively pelt her unshielded body with ice-cold raindrops. She stopped walking for a moment and lifted her frustrated visage up towards the seemingly clear sky, blinking rapidly as the invisible droplets entered her sensitive, azure eyes.

'Heh…this is _just_ my _stupid_ luck,' she thought bitterly.

After a few more seconds of moping, she let out a melancholic sigh and trudged on, diverting her watery gaze back towards the flooding sidewalk. There _really_ wasn't much else she could do about her unlucky predicament since her mother had to work late that night. She _supposed_ she could have always asked one of her friends for a ride, but for some reason, the thought hadn't occurred to her until now.

She placidly wrapped her arms around her shivering body, tightly clenched her chattering teeth, and briskly brushed her sopping, brown locks out of her eyes, all the while thinking about how ironic it was that life always seemed to _suck_ on days she wasn't _prepared_ for it to be…

And believe it or not, that was _every_ single day…

She was actually beginning to wonder lately whether or not she may have done something to jinx herself, for ugly fortune seemed to _immensely_ enjoy following in her unsuspecting footsteps. Take the rain for example…it had been bright and sunny all throughout her last period class, but the moment school ended and she was forced to step outside, _this_ happened. It was almost as if God had set Himself against her or something, decreeing to the Heavenly Court that she was to be condemned to a life of sorrow, misfortune, and misery _just_ because.

It all started about six months ago when her father inadvertently decided to pick up and leave, apparently coming to the imprudent conclusion that caring for a family was FAR too large of a responsibility for him to handle. (Heh…should've thought about that BEFORE he got married and had children, huh?) This forced her mother to work two jobs instead of one, so the two would seldom see one another. A few weeks after that, the assistant principal of Domino High called to inform her mother that her daughter was responsible for a crime that she did not commit: plagiarizing. It turned out that it was actually the other way around…someone had copied _her_, and that someone _just_ so happened to be the principal's niece. Of course, the little _wench_ was able to get away without receiving a _single_ scratch while _she_ was forced to take the entire blow: an F for her entire first semester of 4th year English. She had tried to protest, but of course, like everything else, it _didn't_ work.

Over the next month or so, she received responses from all the American and Japanese Universities she had applied to. Alas, every single letter began the _exact_ same way: "We _regret_ to inform you…" This not only _mercilessly_ crushed her dream of one-day dancing professionally, but it shattered her heart into a million pieces. And to top it all off, a month after receiving her last letter, Yami Mouto, who had just recently acquired a body of his own, destroyed what was _left_ of her crumbled heart when he CALLED her up and said that he "just couldn't." Yes, he broke up with her over the damn _phone_, claiming that he felt much too _uncomfortable_ dating someone who was precisely 4,983 years _younger_ than he was.

Luckily, she still had a couple of beneficent friends on her side, like Ryou, Yugi (although, sometimes it would get a little bit awkward between the two of tbem), Joey, and Tristin. But that still didn't stop her from worrying…

She cringed as she felt hot tears slowly being to descend her frosty cheeks. God, was it actually true? Was she really cursed? Was there some off chance that she hadn't noticed a black cat pass her by as she walked home from school one night? That she had _senselessly_ walked beneath an upright ladder that was being used to paint a _really_ tall building? Careless enough to have cracked the compact mirror that she kept safely hidden away in her purse?

She sighed and let out a soft, but somewhat mechanical, laugh. No…she wasn't cursed. She was just delusional, stressed, and utterly exhausted. But even if she _was_ experiencing some sort of minor mental breakdown, she was _irrefutably_ sane enough to know that she hadn't encountered a _single_ pleasant occurrence since her unlucky streak had begun…

Or had she? In the midst of all of her despondent and painstaking memories, was it possible that there was a _slightly_ affable one? One that she had missed? No…it just didn't seem probable.

The icy air on her bare skin quickly rented her from her frustrating thoughts. She slowly glanced over at the nearest street sign and gave off a tired sigh. It looked like she had at _least_ a mile and half to go before she even _reached_ her neighborhood, and at the rate she was going, she was _bound_ to catch pneumonia or some other horrible sickness _long_ beforehand.

"Oh God," she moaned, completely unable to feel her legs moving beneath her. "Why? WHY ME!"

**ooOoo**

"Hey, Seto?"

"Hmm?"

Mokuba slowly lowered his half-empty can of coke into its respected cup holder before continuing: "How long is your meeting gonna take tonight?"

Kaiba sighed, and without taking his weary gaze away from the window, he replied, "I don't know."

"Oh…okay."

"And that _better_ be caffeine-free you're drinking over there…"

Mokuba frowned as he gently rested his tired head in his hand. "No need to worry…its caffeine-free _diet_. _Safe_ as can be."

The exhausted CEO furtively shifted his icy, blue eyes over in his brother's direction. The kid looked bored as hell, but there was really nothing he could do about it. The whole thing was kind of sudden anyway…

A couple of undignified guys from Mattel had flown in from New York earlier that morning, _completely_ unannounced, in order to speak with him about a possible affiliation. One of his associates had to actually _drag_ him out of AP calculus in order to notify him of their arrival, for his teacher had _imprudently_ confiscated his cell phone a few moments before. The nerve…the _stupid_ _nerve_ that _everyone_ seemed to possess these days. As if he would _actually_ agree to form an alliance with those fools after their _audacious_ little invasion…

"Hey, Seto…" Mokuaba's sudden inquiry, just barely audible over the sound of the rain as it viciously pelted the top of their limo, tore him from his aggravated thoughts.

Kaiba roughly pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to ease the sting of an oncoming headache. "What is it, Mokuba?"

"Look…out there! There's a girl walking alone in the rain, and it doesn't look like she's got an umbrella…"

"(sigh) Not my problem."

"But Seto!"

Kaiba reluctantly let go of his nose and turned his head towards his brother, feeling slightly curious as to why he looked so alarmed. "Hey kiddo…are you sure there's no caffeine in-"

"That girl!" the younger Kaiba cried, cutting his brother off. He paused for a moment as he turned back towards the icy window. "I think she was _Tea_!"

**ooOoo**

Tea bit her lower lip as she suddenly felt a nasty stitch begin to form in her side, making it somewhat difficult for her to breathe without experiencing some minor pain. She let out a frustrated moan and tried her best to ease the discomforting feeling by rubbing it gently with the tips of her fingers. She had been walking in the rain for about ten minutes now, shivering violently as the storm continued to _vengefully_ degenerate. The sky was almost pitch-black, and if it weren't for the scarce street lamps that neatly lined the empty road, she would have probably been road kill by now.

Just as she felt the pain begin to slightly subside, a long, black car flew down the road, sending most of the contents of a nearby puddle all over her clothes. She ceased walking, took in a deep breath, and screamed. This was just TOO much…

"GOD-_DAMMIT_! AS IF I WASN'T _FREAKING_ WET ENOUGH!" Hot tears burned at her irritated eyes, threatening to blind her if she didn't willingly release them. She quickly wiped them away with her wet sleeve and snarled, cursing violently under her breath. She was about to stomp off when a huge limousine reversed its way alongside her. It looked like the same speed demon that had covered her in muddy water only a few seconds before. What the hell…?

Suddenly, one of the back, tinted windows rolled its way down to reveal a familiar friendly face…

Mokuba's face.

"Tea, look at you! You're soaked and shivering! Get in the car immediately! Seto said we could give you a ride home!"

She gaped at him for a few moments like he was some sort of alien from another planet, but her bewildered trance was short-lived as a tall, uniformed man carrying a large, black umbrella rushed to her side and opened the door behind the one that Mokuba was peeking out of. He spoke to her gently in a thick, British accent, which, in her mind at least, sounded kinda funny considering he was speaking to her in Japanese: "Please Miss…Master Kaiba insists that you get inside. I'll search the trunk for a blanket so that you may warm up a little quicker."

Tea, not knowing what else to do, smiled sweetly at him and stepped inside the car, thanking him profusely. After he shut the door behind her, she watched as he hurried over towards the back of the car.

"Tea…" She slowly turned her head towards the seat directly across from her. It was occupied by the little raven-haired boy. "Are you okay? You were walking in the rain without a coat or an umbrella!"

She sighed, placing her equally soaked back pack on the floor next to her feet so that she could tend to her drenched, brown locks. "Yeah, I know…I sorta got caught in it."

"Sorta? I must say, Gardner, that is one _hell_ of an understatement."

Tea let out a grunt of annoyance as she shifted her eyes over towards the person that was sitting at the other end of her seat, wrapping her arms around her shivering body in the process. He wasn't looking at her, but he had a sly grin on his face; she could see his faint reflection in the window. "Please Kaiba, _save_ your sarcasm. I'm really not in the mood for it now."

Suddenly, her door opened, and the kind man who had let her inside handed her a medium-sized, white blanket. "Here you are Miss…try and stay warm. I'll be sure to turn the heat up a little more if you're still cold in a few minutes."

Tea smiled and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Thank you very much."

"You are very welcome." He then carefully shut her door and hurried back around to the front.

She then turned towards Mokuba who was still eyeing her intently. "Ya know, I don't really know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up when you did…I was _seriously_ beginning to freeze." She smiled sheepishly and tightened her grip on the blanket. "Thanks for the ride."

Mokuba gave off one of his adorable smiles and replied, "No problem…but it was _Seto's_ idea to go back for you. I mean, _I_ only spotted you."

Tea carefully regarded the elder Kaiba as he tore his gaze away from the icy window, leaned back in his seat, and sighed. "Yes, well as unbelievable as it may sound…I'm not _that _relentless."

She smiled wanly and lowered her gaze to her lap. "Thank you, Kaiba."

He shrugged and brought his arms up behind his head. "It's fine."

"Hey Tea, James wants to know where you live," Mokuba replied, getting onto his knees. He was looking back and fourth between her and the kind, British man that sat, half-turned, in the driver's seat.

"Oh, um…I'm over in West Bridge. Ya know, that relatively _large_ town home community a few miles down? Well, most of the streets are nicknamed after some kind of tree…I live on Juniper, right offa Pine: 1725."

Mokuba crawled up towards the front-two seats of the car to repeat what she had said to James, for her tone had been far too quiet for him to hear. Once the boy was finished relaying the much-needed information, the car began to move.

Seto made a motion for the seat-hopping boy to sit. "_Buckle_."

Mokuba plopped back down into his original seat, rolling his eyes. "I am, I am."

Tea smiled as she watched him fumble with his belt for a few seconds and then turned her head back towards the window, noticing that the storm was beginning to dissipate. She let out a soft sigh and leaned her head against the cool glass, snuggling deeper into the warm, wool blanket.

Now this…_this_ was lucky.

Kaiba furtively shifted his icy eyes over towards the passive girl sitting next to him. She was still shivering a little and her lips were partially blue in color, but other than that she looked fine. Or…wait. Were those…tears emanating from her eyes, or was it merely water left over from the rain? He slowly turned head, extended his neck, and slightly elevated his head. Yes…those _were_ tears, but…why the hell would she feel the need to cry? It's not like she was going to die or anything…

Eh, girls and their _petty_ emotions.

He closed his emotionless, blue eyes and leaned his head back against his arms. Whatever…not his concern.

"Hey Tea? Are you okay?" Mokuba asked quietly, his features growing dismal.

Upon hearing him call out her name, Tea quickly wiped her eyes with the blanket and put on her best smile. "Yes, I'm fine."

"But you're crying…_why_ are you crying?" He gazed at her with pleading eyes as he awaited her response.

Tea lowered her head and sighed. "I assure you, it's nothing. I'm just tired is all."

Seto carefully cracked open one eye and shifted it in her direction, feeling the slightest bit curious. The girl was obviously lying…her voice was notably unstable and she was nervously fiddling with the hem of her skirt. What was her problem? Wasn't she supposed to be a bubbly cheerleader with a sickeningly cheerful attitude towards…_everything_? Then again, he _had _noticed that the girl's disposition had been far from such as of late. Over the past few months, whenever he had come into contact with her in the hall or in the classroom, she would always look forlorn and distant…like there was some sort of melancholic aura that surrounded her body, forcing her to retain whatever positive energy she usually possessed. The only time he actually recalled seeing her smile was when she was in the presence of her friends, or with his brother. Yet once unaccompanied, her enhanced features would suddenly vanish without a trace, making it seem as if they were never present in the first place.

He quickly snapped open his other eye and let out a silent gasp. How the hell did he even _know_ this? He hardly talked to the damn girl let alone looked at her, so then…what could have _possibly_ made him become so aware of her feelings? Of what she was thinking? He was quickly pulled back into reality by the sound of her voice. His brother had evidently been interrogating her in his own harmless way.

"Mokuba, please. I promise you that I'm telling the truth and nothing but the truth." She held up her hand as if she was saying it under oath.

He raised a brow, his expression still containing a bit of skepticism. "You _sure_?"

"Positive."

Mokuba looked at her like that for a few more seconds before relaxing, a tiny grin crossing his lips. "Oh, alright…I suppose I'll let ya off the hook…for _now_, that is."

Tea laughed. "Just for now, huh? (sigh) O-_kay_."

A minute or so later, the car slowed to a stop and the sound of a door opening and closing originated from up front. As Tea reached for the handle to her door, she took one last glance over at Kaiba, intending to thank him once more for his generosity, but was cut off by Mokuba's alarmed cry: "Tea! You didn't tell me that you were _moving_!"

Tea scrunched up her nose in confusion as she whirled her head back towards the window. "What do you mean? I'm not…hey, what's going on? Who ARE those _people_?" Her confusion immediately vanished and was replaced with a horrible sense of panic as she surveyed the scene outside.

A large group of men in blue labor uniforms were heading in and out of her house, hauling what seemed to be all of her family's furniture and belongings into a large, white truck that was positioned in their driveway. Her mother was standing in the middle of the front yard, angrily conversing with a middle-aged woman in a fancy business suit while wildly waving her arms to emphasize her protests. Hell, if it wasn't for the fact that there were no weapons present, Tea could have _sworn_ that she was being robbed.

Seto shifted his gaze once more in his classmate's direction, only to see her frantically fumbling with the door handle, her face twisted in fear and eyes full of fresh tears. She stopped her struggle as James appeared in front of her door to open it for her. She was out in an instant, running towards her flustered mother.

Mokuba shot his brother a frightened look. "Seto, what's going on? Why are those men taking all of Tea's things?" Kaiba didn't respond. He was too busy thinking the same thing. "Seto, do something! They're gonna take _everything_!"

Seto looked over at him for a second, his face completely expressionless. What the hell could he possibly do? For all he knew, those people could've been a group of extra terrestrial beings, disguised as humans, that had been assigned to steal all the Gardner's furniture and bring it back to their home planet for study and experimentation. He smirked at the thought and motioned to James who had re-entered the car and was watching him through the front-view mirror. The man nodded and initiated the engine.

"_Seto_!"

"I don't know what's going on Mokuba, but whatever it is, it's not my problem."

Mokuba jumped out of his seat and rushed over to where his brother sat, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders. "How can you say that? _How_? It's obvious those people are not here to merely _move_ Tea's things! I mean just _look_ at her! Does she _LOOK_ happy to you? Those people _must_ be _TAKING_ her things!"

"Mokuba-"

"Help her Seto! HELP TEA!"

The CEO stared at his brother with wide eyes, his mouth slightly ajar. What had gotten into this kid? And what made him think that they were taking all of Gardner's stuff? He was _seriously_ overreacting…damn, he must have taken a can with caffeine. "Mokuba, would you calm down? I'm sure it's not as serious as you say it is…things like that don't happen very often. Now sit back down so James can start driving!" He narrowed his icy eyes and pointed to the seat in front of him. "_Now_."

Mokuba's eyes glittered with tears as he reluctantly let go of his brother, crawled to the other end of the limo, and plopped down into a seat. He didn't say anything, but rather crossed his arms and bitterly gazed out the window, watching the foreign men continue to loot his friend's home.

Kaiba sighed and leaned back in his seat, slowly shifting his stern, azure gaze over to where Tea had settled herself. She was down on her knees, hugging her chilled body and gazing anxiously up at her mother as she furiously argued with a woman in a cheesy business-getup. He quickly looked away as the car began to slowly roll forward and closed his eyes, but for some reason, the image _refused_ to disappear…

Seto quickly re-opened his wide eyes and stared hard at the ceiling. Why? Why was it that deep within the confines of his complex mind, he couldn't help but wonder whether or not he had just made a huge…

_Mistake_?

**ooOoo**

Tea continued to gaze up at her mother, feelings of sadness, fear, and utter uselessness washing over her like a massive tidal wave. It turned out that her long-lost _father_ had supposedly "borrowed" a large sum of money from her mother's bank account, leaving only a few thousand yen left for them to salvage…**(1)**

And that _sure_ as hell wasn't going to be enough to pay the bills.

Apparently, the money had been taken just before her mother had the chance to make out a vast number of checks to the mortgage, electric, and water companies. So when she _did_ get the chance…every _single_ one of them _bounced_. And since her mother was unable to afford anything at the current moment, and what her father did was considered perfectly _legal_ since her parents were still married by law, the city was _stealing_ all of their personal belongings.

She believed the council woman had used the term _collateral_, as in the city was going to hold up to 75 percent of their belongings until her mother was able to pay back all of the serious "_fines_" she owed. _Except_ – and yes, there is ALWAYS an "except" - if they weren't able to pay back all of the money they owed in a single _week_, they'd not only _lose_ all of their possessions…but they'd be _evicted_ as well.

She was quickly rented from her unpleasant thoughts as her mother's distraught voice reached her ears: "_Please_! You _must_ try to understand! That money was all we had! I mean there is no WAY I can scrounge up 526,900 yen by the end of this week when I only have a couple _thousand_ left!" **(2)**

"You _do_ have a paying job, don't you Mrs. Gardner?"

"Yes, but I was just recently PAID! And that money was used to-"

"_Pay_ for that limo?"

Her mother raised a confused eyebrow. "What the _heck_ are you talking about?"

"You're daughter was just dropped off by a rather _expensive_ looking limousine…was she not?"

Tea rolled her eyes. "That car belongs to a _classmate_ of mine. The ride was _free_."

The businesswoman indifferently glanced down at Tea. "Well then, I really don't see the problem…do _you_, my dear?"

The blue-eyed brunette snarled, but didn't respond.

The woman smirked. "My, my…what a dreadful look. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't _like_ me…" Her smirk slowly curved into a fake, placid smile as she carefully reached down and gently touched the brunette on the shoulder with one of her wrinkling hands, but Tea quickly shrugged it off. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, my dear…because there's really no reason for you to fret. I mean, worse comes to worse, your mother places you in foster care…you know, just until she can get back onto her feet." Tea could have sworn her smile turned malicious as she added: "Then again, you're almost eighteen now, right? In that case, you're old enough to just pick up and leave. I'm sure the city would be _more_ then willing to pay for the remainder of your education. After all, that _is_ what the _responsible_ parents of the Domino City Council do best…_guide_ lost and lonely teens like yourself before they regretfully go astray."

Oh no she _DIDN'T!_

Had it not been for the fact that she could no longer feel her legs, Tea would have already tackled the audacious woman to the ground and used her face as a human scratching post. Yet since she was slightly paralyzed at the moment – either because she was scared or just too damn cold to move - she settled on screaming instead: "Why you little…SHUT **_UP_**, YOU OLD **_HAG_**! JUST SHUT THE **_HELL_** UP! WE DON'T **_NEED_** TO TAKE THIS KIND OF VERBAL ABUSE RIGHT NOW! **_ESPECIALLY_** NOT FROM THE DIRTY LIKES OF-"

Tea stopped herself in mid-rant as she felt her mother's hand soothingly rest atop her shoulder: "Leave my daughter out of this, Mrs. Saito…besides, you have yet to answer my question."

Upon snapping out of her semi-shocked reverie, Mrs. Saito sighed, gently pinching the bridge of her nose with her first finger and thumb. "_What_ question, Mrs. Gardner? There have been at least one _hundred_ of them."

Her mother stared at the woman like she had grown a second head. "For the love of - YOU _GODDAMN_ WELL _KNOW_ WHICH _BLASTED_ ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT! Now quit playing games with me and SPILL!"

"And _you _should know - for I have said it _countless_ times before - that there is NOTHING I can do. Now if you'll please excuse me, I'm afraid that I must be going-"

"What do you MEAN, there's _nothing_ you can do? There must be SOMETHING! You can't just _leave_ us like this! What kind of sick and twisted people _are_ you?

"We're merely doing our job, Mrs. Gardner…just like you should be doing yours."

"Your job? YOUR **_JOB_**? You call _nonchalantly_ ruining people's lives a _JOB_? Have you gone _mad_?" Her mother paused for a moment to slowly shake her head as she stared at the woman in utter disbelief. "I swear to _G-D_, this world is going to _hell_ in a hand basket."

The tall, bony woman carefully pushed her slipping, square glasses back onto her thin nose, tightening her grip on the handle of her black, leathery umbrella as she said: "Mrs. Gardner. I am merely a representative of the Mayor, the orchestrator of this little…_move_ if you will. So you can plead, beg, and grovel at my feet all you wish, but there isn't a single thing that I can –"

"_BULLSHIT_!" Mrs. Saito gasped in surprise, as did Tea. Her mother _never_ swore…well, at least not unless she was pissed as all _hell_. "What about Tea? What am I supposed to do about my daughter? She needs to eat! She needs someplace to sleep! She needs to go to school! How am I supposed to pay for her education? BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY **_REFUSE _**TO HAND HER OVER TO THE _FOUL_ LIKES OF YOU CORPORATE _SCUM_! IT'S OUT OF THE GODDAMN _QUESTION_, DO YOU HEAR ME?" Her mother paused for a brief moment before continuing in a SOMEWHAT softer tone: "And another thing…I DO NOT want you to **_EVER_** mention the words 'FOSTER CARE' in front of my daughter _AGAIN_! Because if you do, I SWEAR I'll-"

_SMACK!_

Tea sat there in utter shock and horror as the councilwoman slowly retracted her hand from her mother's reddened cheek. She _slapped_ her…that dirty _bitch_, after leaving them to drown in their own financial ruin, had the _audacity_ to go and slap her mother, _punish_ her for her misfortune…

Who the _hell_ did she think she was?

"Honestly, if I had known that would shut you up, I would have done it _hours_ ago. Listening to your ranting and raving has given me the most dreadful headache." Mrs Saito gently pushed a stray lock of dyed, blonde hair out of her bony face and pulled a thin, white card out of her breast pocket. "This is my card. You have a week to get back to me. If you don't, then I will be forced to assume that you were unable to obtain the money. Is that _clear_, Mrs. Gardner?"

Her mother's response was cold and distant - almost _mechanical_ in nature: "_Yes_…it's clear."

Tea slowly stood up from the ground and placidly clasped her mother's hand within hers. Her long, brown locks were shielding the side of her aging face, so Tea couldn't really see what sort of expression plagued her generally blissful features…but then again, she didn't _need_ to see it, because she already knew what she'd find…

Pain, anguish, despair…

She could _feel_ it.

The woman handed the card to Tea since her mother appeared to be somewhat…_incapacitated_ at the moment, gave her one last, cruel smile, and headed on over towards a shiny, navy-blue car that was parked alongside the massive moving truck.

"I'm sorry, mom…" she whispered as a couple of last minute items were removed from their home. "So sorry…"

"No, Tea," came her soft reply. "I am…" Her mother slowly lifted her head to reveal her watery, green eyes and tear-stained complexion. But even with sickening pain plastered all across her face, she forced herself to smile as she squeezed her daughter's hand in reassurance. "Hey, I'm gonna head on over to the bank and pull out what's left…maybe pick up some dinner on the way home. I'm afraid the fridge is pretty much empty…will you be okay if I leave you alone for a little bit?"

Tea nodded her head, mirroring her mother's forced smile. "Yea. I'll be just fine. But what about you? Are you okay?" She gently reached up and touched her reddened cheek. "Does it hurt?"

Her mother rapidly shook her head, sending her drenched, brown hair flapping in either direction. "No, no…I'm fine." She then pulled her daughter in for a massive hug. "We're gonna get through this, okay? I don't care if I have to work 24/7…we're _going_ to make it through. I _swear_."

Tea nodded as they reluctantly parted. "Of course we are…because I'm going to help you. We're in this together, after all…aren't we?"

Mrs. Gardner didn't answer her question. She merely brightened her smile and said, "I love you, Tea. And don't _ever_ forget it."

"I know mom," Tea silently responded as she watched her mother's retreating frame enter their nearly-empty house. "I know…"

And just as the words escaped her lips, so did the next hoard of cold, razor-sharp raindrops fall soundlessly from the cloudy, gray sky, tapping her on the shoulders as if to say, "So much for luck, huh?"

**ooOoo**

"Mokuba…"

Silence.

"Hey, can you come here for a minute?"

Silence.

"Should I take that as a no?"

Silence.

"Look, if you're _not_ going to answer me, could you at _least_ make an _attempt_ to do as I say? I mean, it's almost ten thirty and you've got school tomorrow, so I'd GREATLY appreciate if you turned off the television and went to _bed_."

Pause. (_click_)

Kaiba tediously rubbed his aching forehead as his brother mechanically picked himself up off the long, leather couch and left the living room, making certain that he did not speak, blink, or even breathe as he passed his brother's tall, muscular frame that was leaning casually against the doorframe. Once the moping adolescent had walked out of sight, Kaiba reluctantly dragged his exhausted body over towards the unoccupied couch and collapsed onto it, throwing his arms over his face in the process. He had been trying to get the kid to talk to him for the past _two_ hours now, but to no avail. The boy seemed utterly bent on shunning him.

"(sigh) If it'll make him feel better…"

Alas, his meeting had taken longer then he'd expected, regardless of the fact that he was _completely_ uninterested with what was being presented to him. But apparently, the American representatives were instructed to be rather…_persistent_, so his brother was forced to wait in his office for over an hour and a half with absolutely _nothing_ to do but stare at his computer's unblinking screen saver of the Kaiba Corp logo.

It was only _after_ they had gotten back into the car that the fiery, young boy was given the chance to speak his mind…

"_You're so SELFISH, Seto! Never ONCE have you been willing to help anyone other then yourself!"_

"_You make it sound as if I don't sacrifice enough for YOU."_

"_I don't count, Seto, because I'M your brother! You HAVE to take care of me! It's your JOB!"_

"_Mokuba, how can you say that?"_

"_You have no IDEA how FORTUNATE you are, DO you? How fortunate WE are!"_

"_What's that supposed to-"_

"_Because if you were, I am CERTAIN that you would NOT be the same cold-hearted person that you are today!"_

"_Cold-hearted?_ _Come on, now… don't you think that's being a little bit harsh?"_

"_I am CERTAIN that you would have JUMPED at the opportunity to help Tea when she needed you the most!"_

"_How many times do I have to TELL you? It wasn't any of my business! I mean I can't just BARGE in on people's private affairs like they're my own! Besides, I barely even KNOW the girl, so what REASON would I have to-" _

"_But you CARE about her, Seto…I KNOW you do. And if that's not a good enough reason to intervene, then I don't know WHAT is."_

_(car door opens)_

"_Wait, what? What are you - hey wait as second, come BACK here! We're not through-"_

_(car door slams shut)_

"_(sigh) talking…"_

Kaiba let out a long, mournful sigh as he stuffed a pillow behind his head and forced himself to get comfortable.

Him? Care about Gardner?

_Preposterous_.

It was like saying that Gozzaburo had adopted him and his brother because he had _WANTED_ to.

Ha.

He slowly opened his icy, azure eyes, allowing the arm that had been drooped over his head to fall over the side of the couch. If he didn't give a rats-ass about the girl, then…_why_ was he still unable to erase that image from his mind? The one of her frail form sprawled out on the dampened grass, desperately clutching her mother's leg as she watched what was left of her despondent life slowly fall apart?

'For the love of G-d…what the _hell_ is wrong with me? Why the _hell_ do I care?'

He growled as he forced himself up into a sitting position, leaning his upper body forward so that he could rest his elbows on his thighs and run his hands through his disheveled, brown hair. _Sitting_ there wasn't making him feel any better.

If anything, it was making him feel _worse_…

_Shit_.

He allowed his hair to slip through his fingers as he slowly lifted his head and regarded the small, almost imperceptible black backpack that sat innocently in the right-hand corner of the darkened room.

She had left it in his car…and there was a cellular phone inside of it that had rung at least five times since he had brought into the house, begging - _screaming_ for someone to free it from its dark, cloth prison…

It had probably been her friends, frivolously fretting over her current whereabouts, why she hadn't shown up at their usual hangout after school, how she had gotten home without a car…

"Aw, _screw_ this!"

Irately hurling his pillow clear across the room, Kaiba jumped up from the couch, grabbed the keys to his jet-black Porsche, threw the girl's bag over his shoulder, and briskly left the room, his long, dark trench coat swishing behind him.

If sitting there wasn't going to help, then maybe it was time he took some action…what _sort_ of action he planning to take…

He hadn't the _slightest_ clue.

An unseen bystander grinned as he watched the young CEO storm out of the house, causing a couple of windows the tremble as he slammed the front door shut. "I _knew_ you wouldn't let her down, Seto…I just _knew_ it."

**ooOoo**

"Yes, I'm _well_ _aware_ of that. That's even not what I – excuse me? What's _that_ supposed to mean? I…_OBVIOUSLY_! Why the _hell_ else do you think I'd be…(sigh) I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice. It's just that…if _you_ can't help me, then _who_ can? I've already called so many people …so many COUNTLESS people!"

Tea sighed as she snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag that sat twisted and wrinkled in the one of the right-hand corners of the empty living room, reluctantly allowing her exhausted eyelids to droop. She had been listening to her mother argue with numerous debt and loan corporations for the past _two_ hours now, forcing herself to stay awake. Why, she really didn't know. It was almost as if she felt obligated to listen…like she was just as responsible for returning the lost money as her mother was.

A soft thump brought her back to reality.

"What…?"

Tea grudgingly pried her eyes open and shifted them in the direction of the noise. Her mother had thrown her back against the wall furthest from her and was in the process of sinking down into a loose fetal position. Once she had come to a rest on the floor, she gently placed her free hand over her eyes, tightened her grip on her cell phone with her other, and let out a long, mournful sigh.

"I don't understand…what makes you think that that's even possible? I only _have_ one week, and I'd need at least two to three _months_ to pull that off…_try_? Of course I'd _try_! But I just don't have the time to _test_ out ambiguous hypotheses and problematic theories…I need a foul-proof plan! One that we _both_ know will…don't _say_ that! I…_please_, you're not _listening_ to me! Oh God, no…there _must_ be another way!"

Tea cringed. It had been less then _ten_ hours since they were informed that their money had been taken, and yet…it _already_ felt like they had run out of time.

Soft, salty tears quickly began to accumulate within the young girl's puffy, blue eyes, and somewhere in between her muffled chokes and sobs came a single word…in fact it was so lost in the midst of her troubled cries and tears, that she probably didn't even realize she had said it…

"Why?"

**ooOoo**

Kaiba quickly pulled his Porsche up alongside the curb at the very edge of Juniper Lane, shoved open the door, and jumped out, ignoring the rain as it viciously pelted every inch of his exhausted body. It was almost as if he had grown completely numb…

Both inside _and_ outside.

Flinging the bag over his shoulder, Seto swiftly strode down the block of identical-looking houses, slowing _only_ when he neared the one that James had dropped Tea off at earlier. It had been bright and bustling then…now it was dark and desolate.

'Tell me…what exactly are you _doing_? Do you _actually_ intend to walk up to the front door and ring the bell? Do you _actually_ intend to _speak_ with the girl? Let her know that you came all this way to return some _insignificant_ item of hers?'

His conscience was beginning to nag him again…

But, as horribly annoying as it was, everything that it said was true. What _was_ he planning to do? He had made his way over to her house in a fit of blind rage, and now that he was here…he was totally clueless as to what he should do.

"Dumbass…" he mumbled bitterly under his breath, releasing a small puff of white air in the process. He stopped at the very edge of her driveway and narrowed his steel-blue eyes in a pathetic attempt to shield them from the rain. There was a faint glow coming from the front-left window, a blurry silhouette pacing back and fourth from within. He slowly shook his head as he carefully approached the window, stepping up beside it so that he could peek inside without being seen…

Inside he saw Mrs. Gardner, irately yelling into a phone as she paced back and fourth in a fruitless attempt to calm herself. He then shifted his eyes over towards a bundled up mass that sat with its back to the right-most wall…

Tea.

She was sleeping…or at least she was _trying_ to. Her eyes would slowly droop close and then suddenly shoot open, almost as if they were in sync with the rising and falling tone of her mother's voice. However, he couldn't really tell for sure…the window was tainted with raindrops.

'So what are you going to do? Stand there like a moron and catch some fatal illness, or suck up your goddamn pride and knock on the damn door?'

"I…I don't know," he heard himself whisper. He slowly retracted his head and leaned it against the house's hard, wooden frame. "I don't know…" As he lowered his eyes towards the ground in assumed defeat, something caught his eye…a small, white card, wet and forgotten, was buried in the mud. Curious, he bent down to pick it up. It had a name, work address, and phone number embossed across its surface in glossy, golden letters…a _familiar_ name…

_Mrs. Mika Saito_.

She had used to work under him as a secondary secretary, a mediator of his _less_ important activities and projects. But, due to her incompetence and lack of respect, he had been forced to fire her…

The royal _bitch_.

He gasped as he recalled the woman he had seen arguing with Mrs. Gardner earlier that evening. How could he not have recognized her? The stiff, cheesy business suit, the tight, bundled hair, the long pointed noise that was always poised high in the air…

Mokuba's voice.

"_Help her Seto! HELP TEA!"_

Help her…why? _Why_ should he help her? It really wasn't any of his business…was it?

"_But you CARE about her, Seto…I KNOW you do."_

No, he didn't…he couldn't…he _shouldn't_…

"_You're so SELFISH, Seto! Never ONCE have you been willing to help anyone other then yourself!"_

Seto flung his hands over his eyes and lifted his head up towards the sky. If he didn't care about the girl, then…why the hell was this bothering him so goddamn much? If he didn't care, then…why the _HELL_ was he standing outside of her house at 11 o'clock at night in the pouring rain?

"Because I care…"

Without a second thought, Kaiba shoved the card into his jeans pocket, rushed over towards her doorstep, flung the bag against the door, and bolted for his car

So what if he was a coward…at least he was doing something _right_ for a change.

For someone he _cared_ about.

And that was all that mattered.

**ooOoo**

Tea slowly lifted her head as she heard a soft "thump" at the door. She glanced over at her mother, but she must've been too occupied with her phone conversation to have noticed, because she didn't acknowledge that she'd heard anything. Sighing, Tea forced herself up into a sitting position, slid out of her sleeping bag, and stumbled to her feet.

She quickly brought a hand to her head in a futile attempt to make the room stop spinning. "Ooooh…_dizzy_."

Lethargically dragging her body across the floor, Tea mindlessly unlocked the door and pulled it open, only to find that no one was there. She carefully stepped out onto the front step, which was protected by nothing but a small overhang, but stumbled over an unseen object in the process. "WOAH! What the - " Once she had regained her balance, she quickly diverted her attention towards a small, darkened sack that sat in between her straddled legs. It was her missing backpack…

The piercing sound of an igniting and roaring engine as it tore down the road caused her to jump. She lifted her gaze up from the ground just in time to see a fancy, jet-black vehicle buzz past her house and disappear around the corner.

People and their _stupid_ noisy cars…

Shaking her head, she slowly bent down and picked up her bag. Where had she left it? And who had brought it here?

She brought a hand to her mouth and gasped as realization dawned upon her…

She had left it in Kaiba's car.

Struggling to catch her breath and slow the pounding of her heart, Tea slowly descended the steps that led to her house and walked straight into the cold, drizzle that was still falling from the dark gray sky, staring off in the direction that the car had gone. Didn't Kaiba occasionally drive one of those things to school?

She smacked her forehead in shame. How could she even THINK such a thing? It was just a stupid, black car! Lots of people owned black cars! Besides…there was no _freaking_ way that Kaiba, the cold, arrogant CEO who had never regarded her as anything more than a _lowly_ bystander, a _cheerful_ cheerleader, and an _annoying_ friendship preacher, had come all the way to her house just to drop off her stupid bag at 11:30 at night…in the _pouring rain_!

The idea was utterly mind-boggling…

Not to mention _totally_ surreal.

Then again…why was it that she felt like her conclusion was nothing more then a petty attempt to justify what she _figured_ to be the most logical explanation?

"Tea? What are you doing? Close the door…you're letting in cold air. What? No, I was talking to my daughter…continue."

Tea laughed nervously as she scooped up her bag, stepped back inside, and shut the door. He had probably sent someone over to return it…yes, that made sense. Because it's not like he didn't have enough servants to spare for a frivolous, midnight errand.

The only thing that _really_ troubled her, was the faint scent that was emanating from the slightly dampened bag…

Kaiba often wore a light, musky cologne that could only be detected if you were to slowly pass him by AND breathe in at the same time. She had done that, COINCIDENTALLY, numerous amounts of times…enough to have effectively memorized the scent. She actually found it to be somewhat…_appealing_. Which is why she was freaking out right now…

Because the scent on the bag…

Matched his…

**ooOoo**

It was 7:15 in the morning…

School didn't start for a good 45 minutes…

But here she was, standing before Domino High's front, double-doors, half-awake, half-pissed.

Apparently, her mother had to leave the house rather _early_ that morning due to an emergency phone call from Mrs. Saito. She'd requested…no, DEMANDED that she meet her at the BANK – yes, the BANK of all fricken places – at approximately 7:30 sharp, so technically…it was either catch a ride with her mom before she really had the chance to wake up, or WALK the distance herself…

And she REALLY didn't want to do that.

"Stupid Mrs. Saito…"

Tea placed one of her white, gloved hands over her mouth to conceal a large yawn as she pushed her way through the right-most door with her shoulder and entered the empty school. For some reason, it felt more like it was ten o'clock at night rather then 7:15 in the morning, though it was probably because the sun hadn't completely risen in the sky, most of the classrooms and hallways were dark, and the only audible sound that could be heard throughout the entire building was her own footsteps.

She shrugged as she stopped at her locker to put away her jacket and remove a couple of necessary books. She figured she might as well get _ahead_ in some of her lesser favorite subjects since she had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do for the time being.

Sure enough, her first period classroom was dark, indicating that the teacher hadn't arrived as of yet, but it wasn't locked. Luckily, the janitor unlocked all the classrooms an hour or so before school started. Why…she had no idea, but she didn't care. At least she didn't have to sit in the damn hallway…

With much effort, Tea pulled the room's heavy, wooden door open and stepped inside, hesitating before she flicked on the light switch. It was really much too early to turn on the light, but then again…she'd never wake up if she didn't, so…

Damn.

She cringed as the classroom was filled with a blinding, florescent light. What a _lovely_ way to start the morning, eh?

She rubbed her drooping azure eyes as she trudged over towards her desk that was located in the back corner of the room, instinctively allowing her backpack to slip from her shoulders and onto the floor. Upon settling into her desk, she spent the next ten to fifteen minutes or so silently reading to herself. She was actually beginning to _enjoy_ the peaceful serenity of her quiet surroundings, that is, until the door slowly creaked its way open…

She shot the intruder a quick, uninterested glance before returning to her book. However, something made her do a double take…but what? Oh…maybe it was the fact that SETO KAIBA was the one standing in the doorway as opposed to…ANYONE else!

To her astonishment, the tall brunette looked just as surprised to see her, if not more. It was as if they were simultaneously wondering: "What the frick is he/she doing here so early?" So, not knowing what else to do, Tea flashed the bewildered CEO a quick, toothy smile and returned to her book, ignoring the fact that he was still standing there, gaping at her like she was some sort of weird, eight-eyed spider demon.

After a few more seconds of silence, Tea _believed_ she heard the elder Kaiba mutter something under his breath as he clicked his way over towards his desk in his expensive, black leather shoes. This was followed by a soft _thump_ – most likely indicating that he had put his stuff down – and more clicking as he walked back towards the door and out into the hall.

Tea carefully shifted her blue gaze over towards the right once his echoing footsteps had faded. The room was empty once again, aside from a couple of stray, black items that were strewn across one of the middle seats. She slowly closed her book and sighed. She still wasn't overly sure as to whether or not it was actually HIM that had left her bag outside her door the other night, but for some reason, she just couldn't shake the feeling that it really WAS…

Suddenly, her cell phone began to loudly vibrate across her desk, causing her to squeal in alarm. "WOAH!" She was never really going to get used to that…was she? She slowly shook her head in disgrace as she checked to see who it was. "Hmm…looks like their little meeting is over." She leisurely lifted the buzzing device to her ear and pressed the "talk" button before muttering, "Yeah?"

"Tea?"

"Yeah, ma. What's-"

"Tea, you are NOT going to believe this…honest to God, I barely believe it myself. I actually forced the woman behind the counter to pinch me in order to confirm that I wasn't actually dreaming, or unconscious, or…dead. Because I was SERIOUSLY beginning to think that I was…"

The brunette raised a thin, brown brow. "Um…"

"NEEDLESS to say…I met the old hag in the parking lot, just outside the front doors of the bank, at 7:30 on the dot. Her expression was completely unreadable, which was…slightly unnerving, not to mention suspicious. I was about to ask her what the deal was when she suddenly grabbed me roughly by the arm, dragged me inside the building, _threw_ me in front of one of the half-sleeping desk clerks, and hissed vehemently in my ear: 'Consider yourself LUCKY.' I whipped around to glare at her, only to find her face fuming with the utmost hate and fury…"

Tea listened carefully to her mother's tale, slightly unsure as to whether or not she should be excited…or scared. Mrs. Saito didn't seem like the kind of woman who lost her temper often…that is, unless she, perhaps, didn't get her _way_ with something…

"So I asked her what her problem was, and more importantly, why she had summoned me there at such an early hour. Because I sure as hell didn't drag myself all the way to the bank just to be further harassed by a woman who happened to find my unfortunate predicament to be rather amusing, ya know? Well, she stood there for a couple of seconds, most likely wishing she could bore a hole straight through my brain with her evil, brown glare, when suddenly, her anger melted away and transformed into what I THOUGHT to be embarrassment…and surprisingly enough, it WAS. And then…do you _know_ what she said to me?"

"Er…no, not really."

"She told me that at approximately midnight last night, someone knocked on the front door of her HOME and requested that she meet with them right away. She would have slammed the door in their face had they not been one of Japans most _infamous_ VIPs…ha." She paused for a moment, chuckling lightly to herself. "This is just too weird, Tea, I'm telling you…"

Tea's eyes widened. "A VIP? Are you _serious_?"

"I know! I couldn't believe it either! But listen...it gets better." Her mother paused to release a few more nervous laughs before continuing: "She told me that the person somehow KNEW about our current situation and wished to 'offer some assistance.' The blonde bim – er – I mean Mrs. Saito was about to protest when the person shoved a MASSIVE check – and I say that figuratively, of course – for EXACTLY 2,737,250 yen INTO her face and said that they wished to have it cashed into _my_ bank account…PRONTO." **(3)**

Tea, who had been heeding to her mother in a rather calm fashion, suddenly screamed. "**_WHAT_**!"

Mrs. Gardner laughed. "Yeah…my words – or should I say 'word' – exactly. All she said in response was, and I quote, 'The donor wishes for their identity to remain anonymous, and that it _shall_…so don't try to weasel it out of me. I do NOT wish to lose my job to that egotistical bastard MORE than once, so the story ends _here_.' Then she told me that she had already taken the liberty of removing the amount of money we owed and scheduling a date and time for our furniture to be returned and that I should have a nice day…oh, and that she hoped she'd NEVER see me again. But hey…I didn't care! The feeling was mutual…AND I was no longer BROKE!"

Tea was shocked to speechlessness. Who the FRICKEN HELL would have possibly wanted to save them from complete and utter financial ruin? Frick, who the hell had that KIND OF MONEY to do so?

An infamous egotistical bastard…

Just then, Kaiba reentered the classroom. Tea shot him a startled glance and squeaked, earning herself a half-weird half-uninterested look from the brunette's icy blue eyes. Before she could say anything, a look of frustration clouded his face as he shook his head, whirled around, and headed back out into the hall, muttering incoherently.

"Tea? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," she quietly whispered, her eyes still glued to the vacant doorway. It couldn't be…could it? There was no freakin' way in HELL…cause it was hard enough to believe that he had paid her a quick visit the other night in the POURING rain…

"So you know what this means, don't you? It means that we get to keep all of our stuff! Not to mention our house…"

"Yeah…"

"(sigh) Well, I'm afraid that I must go now. Ya know, ensure that I'm not really off in some alternate dimension, corny movie, or waking fantasy where things always seem to go in the unfortunate's favor…cause technically, I _should_ be jumping up and down like a pre-teen fan girl right now, but…I guess it just hasn't really sunk in yet. Oh well…talk to ya later, hun. Have a nice day at school…and when you get home, we are SO going out for dinner!"

"Yeah…"

The second she hung up with her mother, Tea snapped out of her apathetic reverie, bolted up from her seat, scrambled towards the open door, and grabbed the doorposts with either of her hands to prevent herself from falling forward into the hallway as she whipped her head in either direction.

"Okay, where'd he go?"

Suddenly, she heard a locker door slam. She quickly followed the echo of the loud bang into another hallway where she found the tall, aggravated CEO fumbling with what appeared to be an expensive-looking watch.

"You!" she called out, rushing over towards his side.

Kaiba slowly shifted his seething, blue glare in her direction, raising a questioning brow as he said in a deep, indifferent tone: "Can I…_help _you?"

Tea didn't respond right away. She just stared at him, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. "Yes. As a matter of fact, you _can_…"

The CEO shoved the watch into one of his pockets, along with his hand, and hesitantly faced the girl. "I'd appreciate it if you would make it quick then…there is some unfinished business that requires my immediate attention."

And Tea did just that. Her response was short and soft, but at the same time, overflowing with enough emotion to light a fire: "_Why_?"

Kaiba raised a perplexed brow. "Why…_what_?"

"Why did you do it?"

Her intense glare was excruciatingly unnerving…why did she have to look at him like that? It was almost as if she was accusing him of doing something very wrong…or very right. He ensured that his face remained utterly blank and listless before opening his mouth to respond: "Look Gardner, I don't have time to play games with you right now…so if you have something to say, I suggest you SAY it."

"Why Kaiba? Since when do you _care_?"

His face contorted…out of annoyance? Anger? Or maybe out of fear. Fear that she knew… "I already told you, I don't _know_ what you're talking about!"

She stiffened her arms and tightened her fists, shaking her head as she cried: "Stop _lying_ to me!"

Her voice was full of desperation, her eyes brimming with tears, and her face…it was not contorted in anger like his. It was sullen and morose…the way he always encountered it when she wasn't surrounded by her supporting friends and family. No, he DEFINITELY couldn't allow his façade to falter now.

"I know it was you that left my backpack outside my front door last night…I saw your car as it pulled away."

The CEO said nothing. He just stared at her, eyes listless and lips tightly pursed.

"And I know it was you who transferred all of that money into my mother's account." She had been tempted to say, "I mean, what other 'infamous, egotistical bastards' do I know?" but decided that it would be wise to retain such inquiry. "The question is…why?" She studied his face carefully, searching for any falter in his emotionless frontage, but alas, she found none, so she continued, "I mean, you and I were never that close. Heck, if you consider everything that's happened, you might even say that we're rivals. I've never liked you very much and you've never liked me. But then…" A small smile crept across her lips. "But then I thought about something else…and what's so ironic is that they're the most mundane, irrelevant, and imperceptible things…"

Seto struggled to try and understand where her little speech was going, but her eyes were downcast, so he couldn't read her facial features…for it seemed to be a surprising talent that he had somehow acquired over the last few months or so.

"All those times you'd acknowledge me in the halls in-between classes with a nod of your head or a soft 'hn' if you were feeling up to it. You'd never look away in disgust if I said something to you…something you often did to my friends. And if I decided to speak up in their defense, you'd never talk back to me, mock me, or ridicule what I had to say. Heck, you'd even help me with my stupid calculus homework if I mustered up the courage to ask."

He had been _tempted_ to inform her that the teacher INSISTED he help anyone who didn't understand his or her calculus work, but for some reason, he decided to keep his mouth shut and let her finish…

How _unlike_ him.

"And then…" she sustained, "the other day, you stopped to give me a ride home…" She paused for a moment to look back into his unchanging eyes. "I don't understand, Kaiba. We don't even address one another by our first names…so what could possibly make _you_ want to help _me_?"

Okay...how the HELL was he supposed to respond to THAT? Because he couldn't…what would he say? "I…"

"_Why_?"

Because…

He cared about her? No, not necessarily.

He wanted to prove to his little brother that he wasn't the selfish, egotistical bastard that everyone assumed him to be? Well, he _was_, so…no.

He wanted to prove to _himself_ that he was more then just an over-inflated ego with a head? Once again, he _was_...so no.

Mokuba's voice…

"_You have no IDEA how FORTUNATE you are, DO you? How fortunate WE are! Because if you were, I am CERTAIN that you would NOT be the same cold-hearted person that you are today!"_

"_Why, dammit_! _WHY_!"

Because it was about goddamn _time_ his heart began to thaw.

But she didn't need to know that.

"I don't know."

Tea's eyes widened. The icy hue in his eyes had vanished and for a moment, the CEO of Kaiba Corp almost looked…_human_. Was that even POSSIBLE? It never seemed like it could be, but then again…seeing is believing, right? "So…so it really WAS you?"

Okay, that was ALL she was going to get out of him!

Kaiba quickly tore his gaze away from hers to briefly glance down at his watch. "Look, its ten to eight. I have a couple of things to take care of before class begins, so if you'll excuse me-"

He cut himself off in mid-sentence, his eyes growing wide as Tea, in one swift motion, gently placed her hands on either of his shoulders, craned her neck, and gave him a quick, soft peck on the cheek.

Okay…he REALLY hadn't anticipated that. Maybe a smile, few words of gratitude, a slap, a few words of disgust…but that? No. _Anything_ but that…

She flashed him a beautiful, toothy smile as she carefully stepped back, a soft, almost indiscernible pink hue slowly creeping across her cheeks as she whispered: "Thank you…Seto."

He watched in semi-shock as she whirled around, quickly jogged her way down the hall, and disappeared around the corner, quietly giggling all the way. A small smirk crossed his lips as he shook his head and proceeded after her.

"You're welcome…Tea."

**ooOoo**

Er…yeah.

Well…now that THAT's outta my system, I should probably consider updating my S/T _story_. Yeah…I know. I have got to be the most _pathetic_ writer to ever walk the face of the fricken _earth_. (sigh) If only my brain wasn't so…SLOW. Then I might actually be able to update more then once a YEAR…

Uh, feel free to review if you want…s'always appreciated. : )

**Quickie Notes**:

**1. **A couple-thousand yen is only, like…twenty bucks in American dollars. OUCH. I know.

**2. **526,900 yen is about 5,000 American dollars.

**3. **2,737,250 yen is about 25,000 American buckaroos. wOOt.

Thanks for readin'! Bu-bye now!


End file.
